Sports net support



Aug. 15, 1950 D. L. MALCOLM, JR

SPORTS NET SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1949 INVENTOR flay/a A MmcaLM J'A.

ATTORNE Aug. 15, 1950 D. 1.. MALCOLM, JR

' SPORTS NET SUPPORT Filed Sept. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. pflV/D Z. M41; COLA/l J 2 BY aawgdmwz wz Patented Aug. 15, 1950 fuNirEo; STATES PATENT OFFICE David L. Malcolm, J12, Glen Rock, N. J., assignor I to The Linen Thread [Co., Inc., Paterson, N. J a corporation of Delaware. 1

Application September 13, 1949, Serial No. 115,413

7 is to provide means, which is simple and strong in construction and convenient in use, for holding the ends of the net in proper position parallel with the supporting posts, thus efiectively overcoming the difliculty referred to.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a tennis, net embodying features of the invention in their preferred.

form, the central portion of the net being broken away to save space;

Fig. 2 is adetail side view, on an enlarged scale and with partsbroken away, of one end portion of the net;

Figs. 3 andj are sectional views on an enlarged scale respectively taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig; 2; and

Figs. 5, 6' and '7 are views respectively corresponding to, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of a modified form.

The present application is a continuation in part of my pending application Serial No. 729,932, filed;February ;21, 1947 (now abandoned).

The net illustrated in the drawings is provided with the usual webbing 2, top binding 4, end tapes or bindings 6, and bottom tape or binding 8, the bindings being made of duck or other suitable material. The net may be suspended from and securedto the usual posts H] b means of a cable H which extends through the top binding tie ropes M which are laced through grommets IS in the ends of the top binding 4, and tie ropes I? which extend through loops l8 at the ends of the binding 8. The parts above referred to may be and preferably are of conventional form.

In accordance with the present invention,in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and .4, a strip oi duck or other strong fabric is folded over the outer edge portion of each end binding- 6 and secured thereto by stitching 20 so as to form a sleeve 22. The 'upper endof this sleeve 22 is open, and its lower end is preferably .closed by turningits lower Claims. (01. ave-29) Q to the binding 6 by means of a line of stitching Inserted in each sleeve 22 is a stiffening mere-- ber'28 which may be made of iron, aluminum other suitable material, the sleeve closely em bracing said member. This stiiiening member is preferably V-shape in cross-section, the outer margin of thebinding 6 extending into the V} The lower end of the member 28 may rest on the bottom of the sleeve 22. The upper end portion of said member is inclined upwardly and -inward1y, and is bifurcated with its arms 39 arranged at opposite sides of the top binding A. The ends of the arms 30 areprovided with apertures 32 which register with the outer grommet Hi. In lacing the tie ropes I4 through the grommets, they are also inserted through the apertures in the ends of the arms 30.- Thus the inclined arms are firmly secured toopposite sides of the associated end of the top binding at points spaced inwardly from the upper end of the sleeve and in proximit: to the suspension cable whereby the normally flexible ends of the net are securely held in position throughout their length.

With this construction, upon securing the net to the posts I!) in the customary manner as above described, the stiffening members 28, closely embraced by the flexible sleeves 22 and firmly secured, at their upper ends as above described, insurefthe ends of the net being held in proper position parallel with the posts. Thus shrinking of the cords of the net webbing and inward bowing or other objectionable distortion of the ends of the net are effectively prevented. It will be ap parent that the stiffeningmembers do not affect the flexibility of the body of the net or interfere in attaching thenet to the supporting posts or removing it therefrom., Also that they may be easily inserted-in the sleeves and attached to the top binder, and may be 7 easily removed when desired to repair the net or for other purposes.

In the form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 instead of the bracing or stiffening members '28, members 34 are employed. These members may consist of rods or dowels 36 which may be of wood and have their lower ends rounded over, and theirupper ends reduced in diameter to receive embracing sheet metal tubes or ferrules 38. The portions 0 the ferrules 38 extending about the upper ends of the dowels 35 have their outer peripheries of the same diameter as the'diameter of the body of the dowels, andrthe ferrules are firmly secured to the dowels in any suitable manner as by forming indentations 4i! therein which are'forced into the material of the dowels. The portions of the ferrules 38 above the dowels 36 are flattened, and each is provided with an aperture 42.

Each of these stiffening members 34 is removably inserted in a sleeve 44 which may be formed by folding a strip of duck or other suitable fab rio over the end tape or binding of the net, and securing the longitudinal margins of the strip to the binding by sewing or other means. Preferably each sleeve 44 extends to the lower end of the end binding. The sleeves 44 serve to reinforce the end bindings, but if desired may be made integral therewith.

The upper flattened end of each stiffening member is inserted between the sides of the endv extension of the top binding 4. The sides of the projecting end of the top binding may have eye lets or grommets 46 secured therein in alinement with each other and with the aperture 42 in the end of the member 38. A grommet 48 is provided near the lower end of each sleeve 44, this grommet extending through the secured portions of the sides of the sleeve and the adjacent end binding.

The cords M for securing the net to the posts H3 may each be threaded through the registering grommets 46 and apertur 42, and through the usual grommet l5. The cords ll for securing the lower corners of the net to the posts I6 may each be looped through the grommet 48, and then the remaining portion thereof passed through the loop so that when the cord is tightened the lower portion of the sleeve 44 and the dowel 36 is firmly held.

It will be apparent that in this form also the stiffening members 34 may be easily removed and replaced, and that upon securing the net to the posts Hi as above described, the bracing or stiffening members 34 extending through the pockets or sleeves 44 andfirmly secured at their upper ends to the top binding and at their lower ends to the adjacent ends of the end and bottom bindings, insure the ends of the net being held in proper position with relation to the posts to. Thus. this construction prevents. shrinkage, makes the mesh hang secure and true, eliminates gaps at the posts, and prolongs net life by spreading the tension evenly. The stifiening members 34 made up of the wooden dowels 35 are of light construction, and the ferrules 38 at the upper ends of the posts provide a strong construction for reinforcing the dowels and securing them to the net. While it is preferred to employ the ferrules 38 in order to obtain maximum strength, it will be apparent that in certain instances the stiffening members may be made entirely of wood.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permitsvarious modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

Jhat I claim is:

l. The combination with a sports net of the class described having top, bottom and end bindings, grommets adjacent the ends of the top binding, and tie ropes laced through the grommets for securing the net to supporting posts, of a flexible strip foldedover the outer margin of at least one of the end bindings with its edges secured thereto so as to form av sleeve, the upper end of the sleeve being open and its lower end being closed, a stiffening member of V-form in crosssection inserted in the sleeve and arranged at opposite sides of said margin of the associated binding with its lower end. adjacent the bottom of the sleeve, said member havingv its upper end bifurcated so as to straddle said top bindingand in clined upwardly and inwardly, and the arms of said bifurcated end having apertures registering with one of the grommets in the binding, said tie ropes extending through said apertures to secure the stiffening member to the top binding.

2. In a sports net of the class described having top, bottom and end bindings, grommets adjacent the ends of the top binding, tie ropes laced through the grommets for securing the top binding to supporting posts, and tie ropes for securing the ends of the bottom binding to the supporting posts, the improvement which comprises sleeves secured to said end bindings with their ends extending in proximity to said top and bottom bindings, and a stiffening member removably inserted in each of said sleeves and having its upper end bifurcated so as to straddle said top binding, the arms of the bifurcated end of each stiffening'member having apertures adapted to register with one of the grommets in said top binding to enable the tie rope laced through said grommets to be also laced through said apertures to secure the stiflening member to the top binding.

3'. A sports net of the class described having top, bottom and end bindings, grommets adjacent the ends of the top binding, and tie ropes laced through the grommets for securing the net to supporting posts, in combination with sleeves secured to the ends of the net with their ends extending in proximity to said top and bottom bindings, and a stiffening member removably inserted in each of said sleeves, the upper end of each stiffening member having an aperture adapted to register with one of the grommets in said top binding to enable the tie rope laced through said grommets to be also laced through said aperture to secure the stiffening member to the top bind- 4. In a sports net of the class described, the combination of top, bottom and end bindings, said topbinding being folded over the upper longiitudinal margin of the net and having its ends projecting beyond the end bindings, each of said projecting ends having the sides thereof provided with registering grommets, said top binding also having grommets spaced inwardly from the end bindings, tie'ropes adapted to be laced through the last-mentioned grommets and said registering grommets to secure the top binding to supporting posts, tie ropes for securing the lower corners of the net to the supporting posts, sleeves secured to the ends of the net with their ends extending in proximity to said top and bottom bindings, and a stiffening member removably inserted in each of said sleeves with its upper end extending between the sides of the projecting end of the top binding, said upper end of the stiffening member having an aperture in alinement with said registering grommets so as to enable the tie rope laced through said registering grommets to be also laced through said aperture in the stiffening member to secure the stiffening member to the top binding.

5. A stiffening member for one end of a sports net of the class described having top, bottom, and end bindings, grommets adjacent the ends of the top binding, and tie ropes laced through the grommets for securing the ends of the top binding to supporting posts, comprising a dowel having a ferrule on its upper end with the upper end of the ferrule flattened and projecting beyond the dowel and provided with an aperture, the stiffening member being adapted to be inserted in a sleeve secured to one of the end bindings withsaid 6 aperture in the ferrule registering with one of the UNITED STATES PATENTS grommets in the top binding to enable the tie Number Name Date rope laced through said grommets to be also laced 2 128 948 Kleinman Sept 6 1938 through the aperture in said ferrule. u

DAVID L. MALCOLM, JR. 5 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED I 420,693 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1934 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

